Affording Jewish Day Schools

A long overdue program to lower day school costs gives hope for the future.

David Maggerman is a 40-year-old with a Ph.D. in computer science who recently left the technology industry to become an investor in the Greater Philadelphia area. His main investment vehicles these days are not financial instruments. Instead, he's investing in our future through Jewish education.

He's formed his own philanthropy called the Kohelet Foundation, because he sees the wisdom of Kohelet -- the Hebrew name for the Book of Ecclesiastes -- as offering a blunt reminder for the Jewish community to see the current situation as it truly is, without sugarcoating.

Maggerman understands what has long been obvious to anyone paying attention to contemporary Jewish life: The future of American Jewry depends on whether we provide our children with a Jewish education. Day schools that provide excellent secular studies alongside a comprehensive program of religious instruction and Hebrew language skills have long been proven to be the best possible venue for educating children to be Jewishly literate and have a sense of Jewish peoplehood.

Costs and Apathy

The problem is that too few children are allowed to take advantage of this opportunity. The reasons for this are twofold.

First is the matter of cost. The exorbitant tuition fees that schools must charge in order to survive make it difficult, if not impossible, for many middle-class families to afford them.

Second, and just as troubling, is that too many American Jews are either ignorant of the value of day schools or are uninterested in them because they see them as too sectarian.

While many have rightly focused on the urgent need to increase the amount of money available for scholarships, until we grow the market for day schools (both in terms of students and donors), the future of the movement will remain uncertain.

Maggerman's response is not just to aid the schools, but to challenge these institutions to grow.

The result is a pilot program financed by Maggerman's foundation that will center on the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Jewish Day Schools, the largest day school in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The plan will offer families a $6,000 tuition reduction for every new student, regardless of income level, entering gan (kindergarten) at Perelman each of the next three school years, beginning in September 2009. Every child will also get the same amount off of their tuition in first and second grades, and then get $3,000 off from the third through the fifth grades.

The hope is that the lower tuition costs will attract not only families that would otherwise be intimidated by the costs, but also those who are currently sending their kids to non-Jewish private schools.

What Maggerman intends to find out is if such a substantial reduction will increase enrollment. There are precedents for this scheme. For example, in the mid-'90s, the Seattle-based Samis Foundation subsidized an across-the-board tuition cut, and substantially increased enrollment at a Jewish high school. Yet, the scale and the cost of Maggerman's initiative dwarf the Seattle experiment.

What we need to do is to invest in our children's education the way we invest in our business ventures.

Maggerman hopes to do more in the future for the local Orthodox schools, as well. Rather than merely giving cash, he is asking all the local schools to come up with a plan as to how they would use his money. Indeed, he says, what we need to do is to invest in our children's education the way we invest in our business ventures.

That's exactly right.

For a generation, the impact of the demographic decline of Jewish life has been apparent in rising levels of assimilation and intermarriage. But rather than embrace the need to fund day schools, effective action has been lacking, as many wealthy Jews have lavished money on vanity projects or secular causes that can flourish without our help. Though day-school enrollment has risen in recent decades, Jewish education has not been properly prioritized.

While there are other factors that can build Jewish identity, such as Jewish camps and trips to Israel, Maggerman has rightly identified day schools as the best investment in building the Jewish future.

Many have talked of an even-larger-scale plan that would lower costs for all of the schools in the region. But support from a critical mass of donors seems to have always been wanting. Maggerman deserves credit for choosing to act now on his own initiative rather than letting the status quo continue. Nevertheless, the end goal must be to create a system that will ensure that every Jewish child, regardless of his or her family's income, can have an affordable day-school education.

The real question about Maggerman's project is not whether it will succeed. It must. It's whether others with the resources to help will have the courage and the foresight to follow in his footsteps.

Visitor Comments: 22

(21)
Anonymous,
May 9, 2012 4:41 PM

Unseen benefits of JDS

We were aware of a local JDS when our three kids were young. We had and have friends who sent their four kids to the same JDS. Both sets of our children are now in their 30's and early 40's. All seven of them are monetarily successful. Mine are missing the sense that "we are all our brothers keeper" which I think that our friends children acquired at the JDS.

(20)
Rachel,
August 23, 2011 9:34 PM

What about Hebrew-language charter schools?

I've heard of one such school in NYC. Of course, they are open to all -- but some of the non-Jewish parents freely admitted that they were sending their kids there not because they had a burning desire for them to learn Hebrew per se, but because they know a school with a lot of Jewish students is going to be an excellent school with dedicated teachers, involved parents, and motivated pupils. Once they have the language skills, then perhaps afternoon Judaic studies programs at synagogues could take care of the religious aspect of their education. And it would be affordable.

(19)
Dr. Clare Rose,
April 5, 2011 9:13 PM

Evaluate the succcess of his theory

Is there an objective evaluation to determine the success of this plan?

(18)
Anonymous,
August 27, 2009 9:57 PM

i think the jewish community is squandering its money on jewish day schools

I think a fantastic afterschool program run through the synagogues at sufficient cost for parents to take it seriously as well as to maintain high academic expectations. Most Jewish Day Schools do a middling to poor job on both their Jewish and secular education. The problem is that the Jewish community has incorporated the rather vapid values to be found in the general secular community which essentially underscore the focus on true Jewish/Torah values. We are pulling our children out of Jewish Day School because they are not being taught basic fundamental academic skills and this will pose a huge risk to their future. As for their Jewish "connection" - I believe the key to a strong and vital Jewish identity is primarily the responsibility of the HOME ENVIRONMENT. Modern Orthodox parents have essentially institutionalized the spiritual aspect of their education of their children - and that simply doesn't work. I prefer to educate my children in a secular school and then give them their Jewish education through a combination of tutors and time spent with them teaching them and learning together. This enables the transmission not only of Torah knowledge but also of the deep emotional connection and hold that Torah values and learning has in our lives. It is a far more powerful approach to Jewish education and will lead to a more authentic and thoughtful Jewish soul.

heartbroken Jewish mother,
August 23, 2011 9:30 PM

KEEP YOUR KIDS IN DAY SCHOOL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE

For purely financial reasons, our children did not attend middle- and high school in day schools. And now, neither of them is observant (one in college, one still in high school). We provided a shomer Shabbos, kosher home -- but once they got in amongst kids in public schools, and a lot of the social activities were on Shabbos, and they missed school and had a ton of work to make up after every Yom Tov -- they drifted away. The day schools would not take the younger one back even if we could afford it because of lack of Hebrew skills. (My husband and I do not have more than rudimentary Hebrew ourselves and could not teach them.)
Bottom line: You can always pick up "basic fundamental academic skills" but it's a lot harder to reconnect with the community when you've dropped out.

(17)
chai,
November 26, 2008 1:49 PM

It is a great problem. I am sending my daughter to a great school. But we don't get any brakes from that school. Just because both me and my husband work does not mean that we do not struggle. I am scared to think of what will happen when my other child will go to school. With the economy today it is scary. HOW WILL I AFFORD IT?
How can I have more kids knowing that i have to send them to school with 7000$ a year tuition not counting the bussing which is another 2000$ at best.
If we don't change things now how will middle class families ever afford schools?

(16)
Esther,
November 25, 2008 12:51 PM

Yes, Orthodox families manage to afford tuition - but at GREAT personal sacrafice!

Take it from me, with four kids. We don't save for retirement, we don't save for college, and we don't have any more kids. So stop saying "there's not a problem - the Orthodox manage to afford school". There IS a huge problem!

(15)
crinedel,
November 25, 2008 9:35 AM

Jewish day schools are successful because of parents and community.

While I totally support Jonathan Tobin's ideas for community financing of Jewish day schools he--and many others--put the cart before the horse. They are mistaken as to why these schools are so successful retaining young Jews. It is not the schools as such, they do not operate in isolation from family or community. The schools reflect the goals and culture of the parents and community, supplementing and reinforcing them. Without parental and communal support, the schools wouldn't be as successful.
Treating these schools as an isolated phenomenon, operating independently of the important familial and community components, ignores the vital importance of the latter two in overall Jewish identification.
Schools--and camps, youth groups, after school activities, supplementary Jewish schools--are not a magic bullet but a vital element in Jewish education. Without reinforcement from family and community though, they are not--and cannot be--successful.
So let's support all these educational venues. And let's involve the family and community.

(14)
Anonymous,
November 24, 2008 2:45 PM

orthodox find a way.otheres often don't know to care

in my expeince it is unusual for orthodox parenst not t9o find a way to get their kids to teshiva/day school. as for the rest it is often not a priority. maybe it can be birthright two where preschool day school can be free or hevily subsidized provided the parents learn why jewsih education may be important for their kids. i know families making 60-150k a year tha atre not about to spend between 1-2k to attend services twicw a year either. if they choose anything it's often chabad which as far as i'm aware takes whatever payment is offered

(13)
laura,
November 24, 2008 2:26 PM

There is so much Jewish wealth going to the wrong places, the education needs to be comprehensive, for adults as well as children, if adults are not educated now they will never send their children to Jewish day schools

Every Orthodox community needs to model itself after Chabad in its outreach oriented sensibilities. If the Jewish population fails to identify with Judaism in its most basic form, it is the fault of religious Jewsish leaders who fail to lead in outreach, kindess, education, etc... The Reform and Conservative movements have clearly failed - there's a glaring gap in affiliation because those just aren't enough. Jews want to affiliate and it's up to religious Jews to be accepting, kind, caring to all Jews, no matter what they wear on their bodies, heads, etc. It's time for religious Jews to be more Chasidish and to do things for unaffiliated Jews in a non-threatening manner. Simply to sanctify the Name of G-d, because it's the right thing to do. Tehn these newly educated adults will want to send their children to day schools, because we gavethem a loving and kind environment to settle in. If we are loving and caring and kind, we will bring our holy brethren in. We are all in golus, none of us have it 'right'- for sure we know to emulate G-d's 13 attributes of kindness. This is basic, and we have to extend this to all Jews. We have to never criticize - always be accepting and loving and kind. Then we will suceed. G-d wants us to be good and kind to one another. The Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred. We can do this, we must do this, it is for our very survival as a People.

(12)
sharona,
November 24, 2008 1:11 PM

great article

Thanks for sharing this. As you say in the article, many philantropists donate to other places and not dayschools. This is very sad, since the dayschools could really use it so the tuition goes down. Plus, it's more fruitful to give money to Jewish education instead of an art museum, because you are helping the Jewish people to continue. :)

(11)
Jonathan,
November 24, 2008 12:22 PM

More of the same

Why the stubborn insistence that Jewish Day Schools are the only answer?
Part of the reason day schools are so off limits to people is the fact that they are already shelling out thousands of dollars in property taxes to pay for public schools. No, the answer isn't an elaborate scheme for vouchers. More focus should be directed on creating high quality, affordable after school programs for Jewish children to supplement the often perfectly good secular programs they can get down the street from their home free of charge. That way they could get the Jewish education and make the Jewish friends they need.

(10)
Paul,
November 24, 2008 7:12 AM

Donna (2)

Where are you in NJ? I am involved with a day school that really tries to help. paulb@pbanj.com

(9)
Fred,
November 24, 2008 1:36 AM

May Not Be Enough

It's a very nice idea, and Mr. Maggerman is certainly to be commended for his caring, but if he's experimenting to determine if many more families will send their children to day school at $7,000/child than at $10,000/child (which will probably be more like $9,000/$12,000 by next year, and so on), I am not so sure that they would. That's still almost $30,000/year for a family with four children, about 1/3 of the net income of a family earning, husband and wife, about $120,000/year. We do need to seek additional sources of aid in paying day school tuition, but we should not neglect the money that we are already paying for tuition, in the form of taxes. Greater effort should be made to push for vouchers when the chance arises, and to fight the disinformation coming from the teacher's unions.

(8)
Mary,
November 24, 2008 12:30 AM

Seattle loves the idea

As a mother of three children in Seattle who have benefited from the tuition subsidies and scholarships from the Samis foundation, I can only say thank you very much for bringing the world of Torah to my children far better than I could have on my own. I wish Dr. Maggerman much luck with his endeavor in Philadelphia and urge all Jews in Philly to take advantage of this tremendous offer. I have never regretted my decision to send my children to the Seattle Hebrew Academy or the Northwest Yeshiva High School. They are far more knowledgeble than their parents and will be able to transmit to their children a heritage that is ancient, wise and modern.

(7)
Anonymous,
November 23, 2008 6:55 PM

We need school vouchers

What we need is school vouchers. Politicians have spoken and promised and broken.

(6)
Jenna,
November 23, 2008 3:07 PM

Great Idea!

All 3 of my daughters are very grateful to have graduated from
Milw. Jewish Day School. Yes, it was a
sacrifice, but w/scholarship help,fundraisers & a bit of frugality,
we did it! I am a convert & learned right along w/my girls - it was a wonderful time in our lives. My late husband & I drove through 3 counties,
about 60 miles round trip, for 10 yrs.
to get them there - it was well worth it. Maggerman's project will insure a
Jewish future for our children - we should all get behind it!!

(5)
Charlotte Frajman,
November 23, 2008 3:02 PM

Jewish Schools - Melbourne, Australia

The Jewish Community in Melbourne Australia has 10 Jewish Day Schools,[all private] in a community of roughly 40,000.These range from the very orthodox (Adass) to the very liberal (King David) and everything in the middle.
Although I was lucky enough to have Jewish education from kindergarten to the end of my secondary education, unfortunately, I cannot afford the same for my own children.
My old school, Mount Scopus College, charges over $20K a year (after tax money) for Year 7, the first year of Secondary and it climbs progressively up to Year 12.
The mainstream Jewish Schools always finish in the top 10 in terms of final year success and marks (usually occupy 5 out of the top 10 places) but as fees rise, this educational opportunity is now limited to the very rich or the very poor, who do receive subsidies.
As we are part of a new class known as the "working poor", we can't afford the fees and don't qualify for subsidies.
The future looks bleak, and our community is experiencing record numbers of inter-marriage and assimilation.

(4)
DB,
November 23, 2008 1:11 PM

How do we measure Jewish education?

It could be that some Jewish education is better than none.
It could also be that some Jewish education is hardly Jewish at all and responds to the requests of major donors rather than to a mission statement.
Support for families ambitious to give their children a Jewish education is praiseworthy, indeed. But I would hope the required "business plan" of a school defines what that Jewish education should and shall include.
And then we have to ask, who assesses what Jewish education should include?

(3)
Elliot,
November 23, 2008 9:41 AM

That's the program?

Did I miss something? The novel idea here is philanthropic fund to subsidize tuition? That's not very detailed program. I was hoping to see some practical steps, not just an essay on the importance of a Jewish education. I'm disappointed.

(2)
Donna,
November 23, 2008 8:00 AM

Dayschool importance and finance help idea

I wish we had such a philantropist in NJ. MY husband wants me to pull the boys 2 out of Jewish Day school and i feel the same as the article. we need to educate our children if we want to survive as a people

(1)
avigayil,
November 23, 2008 7:49 AM

Yay!

Thank you Maggerman family!

May many more follow in your generous endeavor!

Tuition is such a stressor for families in any community. This will be such a blessing.

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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